Rachel Wammack Can’t Be Anything But Country — She’s Tried

Rachel Wammack can't be anything but country -- she's tried. The up-and-coming singer-songwriter is a former pageant queen and tried-and-true Alabamian, but her voice is soulful enough to fit any genre, as showcased by her ability to move between piano ballads and pop-country tracks with ease.

"I grew up listening to all types of music," Wammack told The Boot in an interview in late 2018. "So it was interesting thinking about, would I want to pursue a country music career in Nashville, or would I want to try and do something more pop in LA or New York?"

Wammack's resonant voice is deep but plucky, and her songwriting is the mark of a true Southern storyteller. So, she chose country, and for a good reason: She just can't deny her roots.

"I’m from Alabama, you know. I can’t hide my freakin’ accent. I’ve tried my whole life. I always used to try not to say 'y’all,' but I just grew up in the country, riding four-wheelers. My dad lives to fish," Wammack says. "It’s just, my life has literally been country, and I think it would be a sad, sad thing if I tried to hide that or deny it."

Specifically, Wammack grew up in Muscle Shoals, where she gained a strong appreciation for a variety of music. The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even the Black Keys have recorded albums in the area, making the "Muscle Shoals sound" famous.

"Muscle Shoals -- all the music that was recorded there -- Aretha! I feel like my voice is very soul," Wammack reflects. "It’s got a lot of that DNA embedded inside of it."

At the end of the day, there's no question that Wammack is a songwriter first. She fits naturally into the role, and performing is just the icing on the cake. The country genre, she says, was the only one in which she could truly showcase that talent and her life experiences, while staying true to where she came from and using that history to push forward in her career.

"I love songwriting, and I think country music, the heart of it, is songwriting. That’s not just a thing now [but] in history. I enjoy performing just as much as I love songwriting," Wammack says. "It just made sense, you know?"